Little Sister
by tomboy101
Summary: Fifty years ago I was taken from my family. Now, I have escaped my enslavement and am returning to my homeland. My only hope is that I am not too late, that my brothers and I can be a family again.
1. Slave

**Tomboy101:** **hello all! I know this is a little different than my usual stories and I know I need to update** _Remember _**and **_The Nightingale's Song_** but both of those stories have new chapters that are in the works so bear with me, please. The plot puppies-yes, puppies, not bunnies-have been beggin me to write this story for a while now, roughly since I was a sophomore or junior in high school making it abou2-3 years. There have been a lot of false starts and revisions and editing but I think what I've got right now is pretty good, probably as good as it's ever going to get which is why I finally broke down and am posting it to FanFiction. **

**As ever, I am not Rumiko Takahashi and therefore do not own** _InuYasha_** or any of the characters mentioned or appearing in the manga. I do, however, own any characters that you do no recognize from **_InuYasha_ **or any other publicised work. Please enjoy **_Lost Sister_ **and reviews are always appreciated. Thank you!**

There was a time, many years ago, when I was happy. My Haha-ue—my mother—may have been dead but I had my family, my truly wondrous brothers. I am a girl, daughter of the Great Inu-Youkai General of the West. Growing up was hard, I am an inu-hanyō—a dog half-demon—after all. The ningen—humans—despised us and youkai society shunned us. When my Haha-ue was alive she would often cry, she knew how hard our life would be. I do not remember my father; he died soon after we were born, protecting us. But it does not matter, we had another protector: my aniki—eldest brother—really my half-brother but that never mattered.

He kept the lesser youkai that believed us easy prey away from the shrine where we lived. Sometimes he would allow us to find him while he patrolled the forest around our home. To others he might seem cold and distant, possibly even hateful, but I know better. When I sensed him I would sneak away from the village by myself and find him. He would allow me to sit with him for hours, talking to him, really more like at him. Occasionally he would respond, but never with more than three words at a time

It wasn't until Haha-ue died that life became harder. The villagers kicked us out, my brother and I. We had no place else to go. We were young in youkai years; hell, we were young in ningen years, barely ten and only looking like we were five. Once we left the safety of the village the lower youkai, who had come to understand that our village was not to be touched on pain of death, attacked us. Our aniki had not visited us in some time. We were on our own.

We managed to survive, barely. For a very long time I believed Aniki had forgotten us or worse, no longer cared. It wasn't until years later that I found out that our aniki had not abandoned us, that he had decimated the village for daring to think they had the right to exile us, and then, the village destroyed, had set out to find us. He did eventually find us in our new home.

We settled in a village far from our old home. Again we lived in a shrine. The miko—priestesses—who lived there took us in, taught us to read and write, to care for and defend ourselves. We lived with them for twenty years, until we had the appearance of being fifteen in human years. In that time Aniki had found us again. He was not pleased that we had left without informing him of our actions. He is like that and sometimes it irritates me to no end but deep down I know he only worries for us.

On our twentieth birthday, with the appearance of being fifteen-years-old, I chose to leave my beloved brother to travel with our aniki. I traveled the Japanese countryside with him for ten years, often visiting my other brother, who had again moved to another village not too far from the border to the Western Lands, the domain ruled by our aniki and our Chichi-ue— our father—before him.

It was while going to visit him that my world changed.

I was almost to my brother's village, only one day's walk. I could have gotten there faster but I had refused my personal vassal's offer of a ride. I had wanted to take my time, enjoy myself. Oh what a mistake that had been.

There I was, minding my own business, walking through the forest, not paying attention to what was around me and I paid the price. I stumbled upon slave traders.

The leader—a disgusting neko-youkai—took one look at me and I knew I was in trouble. I fought for my life but it was no use. They were less powerful than my aniki, who had taught me to defend myself, but they outnumbered me twenty-to-one. I would strike one down but two more would grab me. Eventually they smothered me, restrained me, put me in youkai-proof chains and threw me into the jail cart.

That was over fifty years ago.

The slave traders took me to the mainland and sold me. I went for a high price; I was a female, pure, a powerful hanyō, educated. The man who bought me was not kind, not to his wife, not to the children he wanted me to teach, not to me. He was ningen. He thought owning a lowly hanyō would show the world how powerful he was. He should have known better than to cage me. Desperate creatures do not make good pets. Soon I became too much trouble to keep.

I was sold again after being a slave for five years, this time to a youkai. The first time I made trouble the punishment was lighter than I had expected, but each time I took even the smallest step out of line the punishments became more and more severe and the tasks given to me more and more demeaning. Originally I had been bought to serve as the lady-in-waiting to the youkai's despicably spoiled daughter. By the time I had been enslaved to them for twenty years I was a mere field hand, working in the fields harvesting the youkai's land with ningen farmers.

I had been a slave for twenty-five years when I made my first escape attempt. It did not go well. I was caught and beaten till I, even with my youkai heritage, could barely move. The youkai—I refuse to call him my owner, I belong to no one—decided that because I wanted leave him so badly he would grant my wish. I was sold again soon after that.

In total I have been sold eight times. After the first two times I barely stayed in one household for more than five years and I always try to escape.

After over fifty years I am starting to lose hope of ever going home. Using the Seeing Gift all female youkai have for their family I watched with a pained heart as my brothers grew to hate each other, each blaming the other for my disappearance. I want so desperately to tell them not to blame each other, that it is my fault I had been taken. I Saw my brother betrayed by the woman he loved and pinned to the Goshinboku, the God Tree; I Saw my oldest brother become even colder and more distant. It broke my heart.

_A young girl, ningen, dressed strangely for this day and age, climbed out of the ancient Bone Eater's Well. She was pretty, blue-eyed and black haired. She looked around, her face showing a mixture of fright and confusion. Suddenly the well seemed to erupt behind her. A large shape reared from the depths of the well. The girl whirled around and screamed._

_ Mistress Centipede smiled sadistically down at the girl. "Give me the jewel," she hissed._

_ The girl tried to turn and run but it was too late, Mistress Centipede lunged for the girl but managed to miss. The girl fell to the ground. Mistress Centipede rushed at the girl again._

_ The girl shrieked and threw her hands out to protect herself. There was a blinding flash of light as the girl's reiki lashed out at the attacking youkai. Mistress Centipede screamed, one of her arms falling to the ground, and drew back._

_ This gave the girl enough time to get up and start running again. The girl kept running until she reached a clearing, and not just any clearing, the Goshinboku—the God Tree clearing. There, on the far side of the clearing, pinned to the ancient God Tree by an arrow in his chest, was a boy with silver hair and soft looking puppy dog ears perched atop his head. The girl moved forward till she was standing directly in front of the trapped boy, having climbed up the Goshinboku's roots so she was at his eye level. The boy appeared to be asleep._

_ The girl reached up to touch one of the boy's dog ears—Mistress Centipede burst into the clearing and swiped at the girl, sending her flying and wounding her in the process. From the wound in the girl's side a beautiful jewel fell. It was the size of a large marble and glowed with its own light._

_ The jewel landed several feet from where the girl had fallen, her blood staining the grass at her side. The girl's fear showed clearly in her eyes. _

_ "Hello Kikyo. Playing with bugs now, are we?"_

_ The girl turned and stared up at the boy pinned to the tree in disbelief. Slowly she stood, still staring at the boy pinned to the tree. "You're alive?"_

_ "Why are you taking so long to kill it? Just do her like you did me. You look pretty dumb there, Kikyo. The Kikyo I know wouldn't waste her time." The boy looked disdainfully down at the girl from his place pinned to the Goshinboku._

_ Anger replaced fear in the girl's eyes. "That does it!" the girl yelled, stomping her foot. "Kikyo, whoever she is, is not me because my name is—"_

_ "You're pathetic Kikyo," the boy scoffed, a sneer on his face._

_ "I'm not Kikyo!" The girl glared at the hany__ō__ boy. "Look, I'm telling you, I'm not her," the girl began to angrily climb up the roots of the Goshinboku, "whoever she is!"_

_ "And I'm saying you gotta be her 'cause if you're not there's no way you could smell so—" the boy looked at the girl's face closely and sniffed "—you're not her."_

_ "I know!" the girl yelled, mere inches from his face now. "My name is Kagome, Ka-go-me."_

_ The hany__ō__ looked away from her and muttered, "You're right. Kikyo was cuter, much cuter."_

_ A look of outrage settled on the Kagome girl's face but before she could say anything Mistress Centipede laughed, a goosebumps-raising sound, and wrapped herself around the tree and the girl, pulling her long grotesque body tight, suffocating the poor ningen._

_ "At last!" Mistress Centipede laughed and bent down to the grass where the Shikon no Tama had fallen. _

_ The boy looked down at Mistress Centipede. A look of angry desperation crossed his face as he saw what the creature was leaning over. "Give me the jewel!" the boy yelled, struggling against his bonds._

_ "I heard some hany__ō__ spawn was after the Sacred Jewel. It's you, isn't it!" Mistress Centipede cackled even more. "You are InuYasha!"_

_ "Half's all the youkai I need to kick your scaly hide. Anymore than that would be a waste of my time," the boy shot back._

_ "Listen, you talk big but can you back it up?" Kagome asked, looking intently up at the hany_ō._ The boy stared at her in surprise. "Can you or not?" Kagome demanded._

_ "What can he do, pinned there like that, or you for that matter? You are powerless to stop me," Mistress Centipede hissed, still laughing at her prey. "You're helpless, the both of you."_

_ "Don't you dare!" the hany__ō__ cried, but it was too late._

_ The grotesque demon's tongue snaked out, wrapping around the jewel and bringing it up to her mouth, swallowing the iridescent orb whole._

_ With the power of the Shikon no Tama Mistress Centipede began to glow. "Look," Kagome whispered, "it's re-arming itself." And it was. The arm Kagome's reiki had severed was reattaching itself._

_ Mistress Centipede wrapped herself even more tightly around the Goshinboku and her captives, squeezing till Kagome yelled in pain, "It's crushing me!"_

_ "Hey," the hany__ō__ said quietly, not looking away from Mistress Centipede, "can you pull out this arrow?"_

_ "Huh?" Kagome looked at the hany__ō__ in confusion. _

_ "Look, can you pull it out this arrow or not?" the hany__ō__ growled._

_ "I-" Kagome reached for the arrow but Mistress Centipede squeezed her tighter, "I don't know."_

_ "Are you ready to die yet?"_

_ Kagome reached for the arrow, grasping it in one hand."I choose to," with as much strength as the girl could muster she pulled on the arrow, "live!"_

_ A blinding pink light engulfed her. The arrow disintegrated._

_ The hany__ō__ boy's power pulsed._

_ "InuYasha?" the girl whispered._

I blinked back to my reality. I was sitting on the floor in the servant's quarters with my legs crossed and my back up against a wall. Several ningen onna—human women—sat at one end of the long, low room but they did not even acknowledge my existence. This suited me just fine. Slowly I stood, the stiffness in my legs sending sharp pains up my thighs but I did not react. I had learned over the past fifty years to never, ever show weakness to anyone.

I left the servant's quarters quietly, mulling over my most recent vision of my twin brother. So he had finally been freed from the miko's spell. From the clarity of the images I knew this one had already come to pass. That was an interesting change of events. I let my feet take over as I turned my thoughts inward.

I had often dreamed of the day InuYasha would be free of the Goshinboku, but I also dreaded it. It had almost killed me to be unable to free myself of this wretched existence I now lived. But then, I had never really had the right incentive when it came to my freedom. For a while I had believed that freedom itself would have been reward enough but as the years passed I become more and more unsure. I continued with my escape attempts—I would always make escape attempts—but they had become half-hearted and feeble.

Now, with the release of my brother, an emotion I had not felt in quite some time and one that I had become all too familiar with swelled in my chest: pride and shame. I was proud of my brother and ashamed of myself. InuYasha had persevered, had overcome the obstacles set before him and had triumphed. I had not.

When we were younger I had always been determined to do everything my older twin had done, even when he said I couldn't because I was a girl. Well, that determination was slowly but surely making itself known again. I glanced up at the sky. It was nearing dawn. Soon all of the servants and slaves would finish their meal and return to the servant's quarters, accompanied by guards and overseers. If I wanted to go I had to go now.

I tossed my sheet of long silver hair over my shoulder and tied it back in a low ponytail with a leather thong. The current Master of the Household was stupid and lazy. He believed that because I had been a slave for over fifty years that I had learned my place. It was a foolish assumption for him to make.

There were no guards on the back wall of the manor. I leaped it easily. On the other side of my prison walls a vast forest stretched before me. A wind brushed past me and on it I could barely smell the scent of salt and brine. My home was east, towards the rising sun, and across the ocean. A strength I had not felt in quite some time filled me. A sense of purpose and determination rose in my chest. If I followed the sun at a reasonable pace I would reach the coast at dusk the next day.

I started running.

Without a second look back I fled my jail keepers, heading into the forest as the sun rose high above the horizon. _Soon, brothers,_ I thought. _Soon I will be home where I belong._


	2. Found Ya!

I reached the small town of Chongjin not long after noon the next day. I had made much better time than I had expected. Walking down the dusty main street I followed my nose toward the smell of brine and salt. The wharfs were really nothing more than a few rickety wooden piers jutting out into the water for no more than a couple hundred feet. I looked around me cautiously. On the far pier I could see what I thought might be a Japanese ship unloading cargo. As unobtrusively as I could I walked towards it.

To my delight the ship's sailors were indeed speaking Japanese, and they were all ningen. I smiled a fanged smile and slid into the shadow of one of the small warehouses near the ship and listened.

"Once ye get this cargo unloaded ye may go into town," A burly man with an air of authority yelled at the crew. "But don' ferget we set sail on the morrow for home," he added over his men's cheers.

My smile grew. This ship would be my ticket off this retched continent. Now all I had to do was stow myself away in the cargo hold. That shouldn't be too hard, right? I would have to wait for dark, when the crew was too busy enjoying themselves in town to guard their ship. Of course they would leave a few crewmen behind but those men would probably be too grumpy about being left behind to really be paying attention. _Yes,_ I mused,_ that will work._

Quietly I slipped away, heading back into town. I could hear my stomach growling. While I did not need daily meals the last punishment given to me had included no food for a week. In short, I was starving. I felt guilty as I stole my dinner from the counter of a food vendor's stall but I pushed the feeling aside. I had long since learned that people will do anything out of desperation and that there was no shame in it.

I ate my meal as the sun was going down in a heavily-leafed tree on the outskirts of Chongjin. I would not miss this land; in fact I cursed it and the despicable slave traders who had brought me here. I spat on the ground at the thought of the neko leader. If I ever found him again I would make him pay. It was only by the grace of Kami I had been too young to be a concubine when they first caught me and by the time I had become old enough I had learned enough to know that causing as much trouble as I could was the only way to be spared having to share the master's bed. Instead I had been subjected to degrading tasks and ridicule, but it was all worth it to protect one of the things I valued most: my family's honor.

The sun was gone from the sky and the village lamps were lit by the time I had finished my meal. Sneaking onto the ship was easy. The crewmen that had stayed behind as guards were sitting in the crew's quarters drinking sake and yelling loudly at one another. I slipped past them and hid myself amongst a pile of large crates in a far corner of the cargo hold.

I do not know how much time passed. I did not dare sleep for fear of being discovered. Every time I caught myself dozing off I jerked myself awake. Lady Luck seemed to have forgiven me for whatever misdeed I had done to incur her wrath and I was not discovered.

I had decided to not move from my hiding place until I heard the call that the ship was in sight of land, which happened sooner than I expected.

"Land-ho!" I heard someone shout far above me.

My ears perked up. Finally I was going to be able to get off this stupid ship. I attempted to stand but my legs seized and I collapsed back down to the wooden floor. A low growl escaped me, sending the queen rat, who had emerged from a tiny whole in the floor probably coming to tell me what I had already heard, running with an indignant, "What's got your fur all ruffled?"

I ignored her, choosing instead to rub my calf muscles to ease the pain. When I was finally able to move my legs without gasping in pain I stood and wiggled my way out of my hiding place. Taking care to keep out of sight, I slipped up the stairs onto the top deck. The silly ningen crew didn't even see me. They were all too busy doing whatever sailors do when preparing to dock.

I looked out across the water. There, on the horizon, was a sight I had been longing to see for over fifty years. A warm feeling welled up inside me as I stared hungrily at my homeland, drinking in the glorious sight that was the Japanese coastline. My feet itched to be standing on familiar soil and my hands longed to feel my home. Quickly I made some mental calculations. The ship couldn't be more than 2 leagues from the farthest rocky shore. I could swim that distance easily.

I glanced down at the bright blue water sloshing up against the side of the ship and winced. The water looked cold and it was salt water to boot. I could already feel the shallow cuts left from my last beating start to sting.

"Hey, you!'

I turned around.

A sailor had shouted at me, his yell attracting the attention of several others. "What do ye think ye're doing?" He took a step towards me, his mates coming to stand with him. That made my mind up for me. Without a second thought I turned to the rail and vaulted over.

I hit the water with a splash. It was cold and the salt did sting but I bit my lip and ignored it. Striking out towards the rocky coast I could hear the shouts of the sailors onboard the ship. I pushed myself to get as far from the ship as I could.

It seemed like forever before I finally reached shore. The waves beat on me and the undertow threatened to drag me down to the depths of the ocean but I made it. I barely managed to drag myself out of the water and onto a rocky outcrop where I collapsed. I gasped for breath as I lay there on the cool rock. My muscles ached. I had seriously overestimated my body's ability when malnourished and exhausted.

I lay there on the cool rock for a very long time; the ship had long since passed by and vanished around the shore bend. The sun was well past high noon before I finally forced myself to move, rolling over to a kneeling position. My arms still shook slightly but I could care less. The reality of my situation had finally sunk in as I gazed out across the blue ocean that stretched out for miles in a daze. I was free. _Free. _No more masters. No more answering to every whim and desire of some brat. No more overseers always insisting I had done something wrong just because I was hanyō. I had longed for my freedom for so long and I finally had it. I wanted to cry out to the sky with joy.

_That might not be wise, My Lady_, a voice whispered in my mind.

I whirled around, falling on my back and almost tumbling off my rock.

I could have sworn I was alone but apparently I was wrong. Standing before me was a beautiful horse-youkai. A fiery mane and tale created a stunning contrast with his white coat. Sparks shot up when he stomped his hoof against the rock. Blood red eyes with black reptilian pupils watched me closely. "Entei," I breathed. My eyes stung as I fought to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down my face as I stared up at my loyal vassal and long-time companion looking just as I remembered him to be, so strong and fierce.

Entei bowed his head low. _It is good to see you again, Mistress._

"Oh, Entei," I cried, leaping up and throwing my arms around his gleaming neck. His coat was soft as silk against my skin. The hold I had on my emotions broke and I cried for the first time in close to fifty years. I buried my head in his neck and breathed in. Entei smelled of a forest fire, wood smoke and heat, of autumn and sky and wild places. He smelled like home.

Entei allowed me to cling to him for several more moments before he shifted uncomfortably. _Mistress,_ he said, stepping back so we could look into each other's faces, _Lord InuYasha is a mere ten miles from this place. Do you wish to see him?_

I smiled and wiped the tears from my face. "Yes, Entei, I would very much like to see him."

Entei nodded and moved to angle himself so that I could mount. Still smiling I gripped his fiery mane, not even feeling the flames as they licked my hand, and vaulted onto his back. Entei waited till I had settled myself before leaping to the sky.

We rose high above the cliff face, banking back over it to soar over the land. Entei galloped across the Japanese sky. Below me I could see a forest. The leaves of the trees were turning colors, a blanket of reds, yellows and orange covered the land. I took a deep breath. Now that I was away from the sea and the scent of brine I could tell there was a snap to the air, a heady feel to the breeze. It was fall in Japan and my smile grew to a full-blown grin as I gazed down at my home, drinking in the view greedily. The wind rushed past my ears, blowing my wild silver hair all around me and causing the hoop earrings in my dog ears to clink softly against each other. Thankfully I had remembered to tuck the hem of my thigh-length blue-green kimono underneath me so the wind could not blow it up around my waist.

I rode in silence as Entei flew above the treetops, my thoughts beginning to wander. How would my twin react when he saw me again? Would he be overjoyed? Stunned? Speechless? No, my brother would never be speechless. The very idea made me giggle.

_Something amuses you, Mistress?_

"Oh nothing, Entei. Just thinking."

Entei chose not to respond. Instead he focused on the forest below us. _We are almost there, Milady_.

I looked down too. The forest still stretched almost endlessly below us but now far off I thought I saw a break in the trees indicating a clearing. Entei had not been flying for much longer when he began his descent. I looked between his ears and saw that he seemed to be heading towards a clearing. As we got lower and lower the sounds of battle reached my ears, shouts floated to me on the air. My ears twitched and my back straightened. "Is that where my onii is?"

Entei tossed his head in a nod just as we cleared the trees. On one side of the clearing three ningen—a purple-and-black robed houshi holding a golden staff, a taijiya onna in pink and black battle armor, and the future-miko from my vision who had released InuYasha, still dressed in her strange green and white kimono. With them stood a large, fanged nekomonka—a two-tailed cat-youkai familiar—that had an orange haired kitsune-youkai kit on its back.

None of them made a move to stop the battle before them where a silver haired hanyō fought a black haired ookami-youkai. In fact, they seemed a little bored. The two combatants were shouting obscenities at each other, mostly insults at the other's breed, not really even trying to land a hit on each other.

No one seemed to have noticed Entei and I. Entei landed a little ways behind the bystanders. Quietly, I slipped off Entei's back and made my way to stand next to the houshi. "Has it occurred to them that they are both canine?"

The three ningen practically jumped out of their skin. "Wha-Who are you?" the future miko stuttered, looking at me with fear-filled blue eyes.

I flashed her a fanged smile. "Guess."

"Are you related to InuYasha?" the taijiya asked, eying my silver hair and inu ears.

I tapped my nose. "You got it. Now, does anyone care to tell me what my foolish brother is doing?"

"B-brother?" the miko squeaked.

I rolled my eyes. Seriously? Could the onna not hear?

"We were unaware InuYasha had such a beautiful sister," the houshi said, an unnerving smile appearing on his handsome face. Before I could blink he had my hand clasped in both of his and was kneeling before me. "Would you do me the honor of bearing my children?"

I growled. "Release me, houshi, or I will personally make it so you can never _have_ children, no matter how many women you seduce."

The houshi gulped and quickly backed away from me on his knees. "Now there's no reason to get violent, My Lady."

"You hentai!" the taijiya yelled, slapping the houshi. A red handprint appeared where she hit him. I smiled. I could get along with this girl, she had spunk. "I apologize for the houshi's behavior," she said casting one more glare at the houshi who lay sprawled on the ground twitching every now and then.

I cast a quick glance at Entei who had stayed behind me in question. _These are your brother's travelling companions—his pack_, he told me in answer.

I nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to my brother's fight, though in reality it was more like a shouting match than anything else. "Now that that has been dealt with, will someone please explain to me why InuYasha is having a shouting match with a Northern Mountain ookami? Actually," I smiled as a thought occurred to me, "I don't care." Still smiling I jumped up into the air, coming to land a mere three feet from the testosterone-ridden canines. "InuYasha," I called sweetly.

He didn't hear me.

I frowned and said a little louder, "InuYasha."

Again, he didn't hear me.

"InuYasha!"

Both mutts' heads snapped towards me, their fists inches from the other's face.  
InuYasha was the first to speak. "TanaYasha?"

"Whoa, mutt-face, there are two of you!"

I only gave the ookami a fleeting glance before turning back to my brother, only to find he had...fainted. Wow, definitely wasn't expecting that reaction. Apoplectic? Sure. Faint? No.

"Uh, InuYasha?" I bent over my brother. The poor guy was out cold. I studied him closely. Nope, I didn't see him waking up anytime soon, at least not on his own. My hand darted forward, jabbing him in the ribs with my first finger. Nothing. I poked him again, and again I got no reaction. I huffed and sat back on my haunches. "Well, isn't that nice of him. First time he sees me in fifty years and he goes and faints." I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted.

Meanwhile, the ookami had yet to quit staring at me. I could feel his gaze on me, sliding up and down and making my skin shiver, though I wasn't sure if it was in a good way or a bad way. Finally, when I had just about had it with his roaming eyes, he seemed to come to a conclusion. "You're going to be my new woman," he said.

My head whipped around so fast my neck popped. "Nani!"

The ookami nodded, almost sagely. "Yep! You're my woman."

I bounced to my feet, angrier than I had been in a long time. "I do not _belong_ to anyone," I growled glaring the ookami straight in his blue eyes. Was this guy on opium or something? Who did he think he was? I had just freed myself from one cage, I wasn't looking for another.

"So how's my woman doing?" He gave me what he seemed to think was a charming smile. Could this youkai not take a hint? I mean, come on, ookami were notoriously thick but they couldn't be this stupid! What a baka!

But for some reason, the way he looked at me sent chills racing down my back—the good kind—and my stomach gave a weird kind of spasm. "Chotto matte! You don't even know my name," I snapped, shoving my other feelings aside and focusing solely on the anger.

The ookami's smile didn't even falter. "I'm Koga, Prince of the Northern Ookami Tribe."

I sighed, the scowl sliding off my face. I had learned long ago that some people—and youkai—just aren't worth it. "I am TanaYasha, Heir Apparent of the Western Lands," I said in a resigned way.

That seemed to confuse him. "Heir Apparent?"

Talking to this ookami was beginning to give me a headache. I rubbed my forehead. "Hai," I sighed. "It means if the current Taiyoukai of the West doesn't have any pups before he dies I inherit the title. Now, if you'll excuse me," I turned back to my unconscious brother, effectively ending my conversation with the baka ookami.

I bent over InuYasha, casting his face in shadow. His ears twitched spastically every now and then. It reminded me of what I used to do to him when we were pups to get him to wake up.

I stuck my finger in my mouth, thoroughly wetting it then plunged it in his ear. Just like I had hoped, InuYasha screamed like a five-year-old, jumping at least six feet in the air. "What the fuck!" he squalled. He looked so much like a child I couldn't help it. I collapsed to the ground laughing my head off, rolling on the grass clutching my stomach.

"Tana!" InuYasha yelled. He launched himself at me. I stopped laughing, saw the dangerous look in his eyes, and ran for the hills. "Get back here!"

"No way!" I yelled over my shoulder, darting to hide behind the taijiya. "Save me from him onegai!"

"Hey no fair! No using ningen as shields!" Memories of us running around much like this when Haha-ue had been alive surfaced. InuYasha as child blurred my vision. Images of him chasing after me after I played a trick on him flashed behind my eyes. The present InuYasha trying to reach around my protector broke my reverie.

I ran to the next ningen, which happened to be the miko. InuYasha glared at me as I cowered behind the shorter girl but seemed to be having second thoughts about trying to get past her. Apparently I had chosen a better shield the second time round. He hmphed, pouting.

"Hey! What exactly is going on?"

I had forgotten all about the ookami. He was watching us with puzzled blue eyes, arms crossed over his very defined chest.

"I would like to know that too, actually," The taijiya looked at me over the miko's shoulder expectantly. I sighed. These ningen were smarter than most. Figures my brother would surround himself with smarties. It probably made up for his own lack of brain power.

Stepping out from behind the miko I walked over to my brother, Entei following to take up a position behind me. My shoulder brushed InuYasha's as I turned to face his pack and a feeling of security enveloped me. I glanced at InuYasha, giving him a small smile as he put his arm around my shoulders. I returned his one-armed hug. It felt so good to be with my brother again.

We sat on the cool green grass and Entei settled himself behind us and I leaned back against his warmth. The rest of InuYasha's pack settled in a circle before us, including the ookami, and looked at me expectantly. I gave InuYasha one more glance, he nodded encouragingly, before beginning our tale of woe.


	3. Family Issues

**Tomboy101:**** please let me know what you think!**

InuYasha's pack listened as I told them all that had happened to me in my life. When I started my story it was early to mid-afternoon and by the time I finished it was dusk. As I talked no one interrupted; I guess they all really wanted to hear what I had to say.

When I finished there were tears in the miko's eyes and the taijiya looked grim. Halfway through InuYasha had wrapped an arm around me and now he squeezed me tight. I could smell the anger rolling off of him in waves and I didn't need twin telepathy to know he was planning ways to murder the neko slave trader. Of course, he would definitely have help in making it painful from Aniki as soon as he found out what had happened. The houshi, however, looked slightly puzzled. "Excuse me, Lady TanaYasha," he said, "but how is it that you knew InuYasha was free of the Goshinboku or that your brothers now hate each other?"

I gave the houshi an impassive stare but it was the ookami—Kouga, I think he said his name was—, who had stayed mercifully quiet throughout my entire story, who spoke. "It's a onna youkai thing," he told the houshi. "They can See what's happening to members of their blood family, wherever they are in the world. Nothing can keep them from Seeing who they want to. It comes from onna youkai having to raise their pups and stuff."

"No one asked you, ya mangy wolf," InuYasha snapped.

Kouga bristled. "Watch who you're talking to mutt!"

InuYasha opened his mouth to yell back but I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He looked at me and I shook my head. InuYasha pouted but thankfully held his tongue. I turned my attention to Kouga and said calmly, "That is a surprisingly accurate description. I am impressed." Kouga puffed out his chest. InuYasha blanched at my compliment. I think he was tempted to yell at me for it. "Who taught you so well?"

"My Haha-ue."

"Ah. Well, I guess the only thing I can really find fault in your education is in your manners. You really must go to her and ask for a refresher course." Beside me InuYasha snickered. Kouga's blue eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened.

"Please, pardon me for asking," the taijiya Sango said before another fight could start between the two testosterone-filled canines, "it is terribly rude of me, but why do you look…older than InuYasha? You are twins, yes?"

"How old do I look, Sango?"

"Um," Sango frowned, studying me, "I would guess that you are twenty summers old."

I smiled. "You are close. You see, hanyō age differently than humans. For every ten years we are alive we only physically age one year, making InuYasha and myself two hundred years old, though that is still very young in youkai terms. Our Aniki-san is four-hundred and thirty-three; of course he stopped aging when he reached the appearance of twenty-five."

Everyone's jaws dropped.

"Jeeze, Tana," InuYasha grumbled, "way to make me feel like an old man."

I giggled. "Really, Inu, I would have thought you'd have told them by now, though I do understand how it might be embarrassing since you act more like a teenager than a young adult." InuYasha glowered at me. I smirked. "I guess getting pinned to the Goshinboku not only halted you're aging but your maturing as well."

"So, let me get this straight," Kagome said, "because InuYasha was pinned to the Goshinboku for fifty years his aging was frozen in time until I freed him?"

I nodded. "Yep, that about sums it up."

InuYasha's pack stared at him. "Man," the little kitsune kit Shippo said, "you're ooold."

InuYasha glared at the kit. "What was that runt?!" and he made a lunge for the little redhead.

The kitsune kit squeaked and darted away from my brother's grasping claws, making a beeline for the relative safety of Kagome's lap. I giggled at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. My Sight could not have shown me anything like this. To be in this pack's company was infinitely more entertaining than watching from a distance.

"InuYasha!" Kagome admonished. "Leave Shippo alone. Shippo, that was very rude of you to say."

Shippo hung his head, looking all the world like a child being lectured by his mother. A smile quirked up the corners of my mouth. It was very obvious to me that the miko was very important to all of them. She was Shippo's mother-figure, Sango and Miroku's younger sister and my twin's best friend. I was grateful to her for looking after InuYasha, Kami knew he needed it.

"I'm sorry InuYasha," Shippo said.

InuYasha grunted. Kagome rolled her eyes and cuddled Shippo to her chest. I could just see the little kit smiling deviously. He obviously wasn't really sorry. I'd forgotten how mischievous kitsune were.

"I don't think we will be leaving this spot any time soon," Miroku said after a pause. "I suggest we make camp for the night."

There were nods of agreement and Kagome pulled out a roll of thick bedding which she proceeded to spread out on the ground. Miroku offered to go find water and Sango went with him. Kouga got up and bowed to me. "Well, I gotta go. See you later TanaYasha!" and with that he disappeared, a small tornado trailing after him and kicking up dust.

I coughed and squinted so as to avoid getting grit in my eyes. When the dust finally settled Kagome, Shippo, InuYasha, Entei and I were the only ones left in the clearing. "Again I ask, what is that ookami's problem?" I asked.

Kagome shrugged. "Your guess is as good as ours."

I smiled. "Then my guess is that he is mentally stunted. Wouldn't you agree, kit?" I asked Shippo.

Shippo smiled, revealing tiny little baby fangs. "Yep!"

I laughed and ruffled his hair. "Good kit."

"InuYasha, we need firewood," Kagome said pointedly.

"Feh. Go get it yourself wench."

Faster than InuYasha could blink my fist struck him on the back of the head.

"OW! What was that for?!"

"Watch your language baka Inu!"

"You watch where you're hitting!"

"I did! I hit right where I was aiming!"

"WHY YOU!"

InuYasha made to lunge for me but I grabbed one of his sensitive little dog ears between two claws and twisted. His scream was music to my ears. I smiled at Kagome, still pinching InuYasha's ear, "If you will excuse us, we need to have a family conference. Entei, would you please guard the camp?"

Kagome stared at us dumbly, too shocked to really say much while Entei nodded calmly as I got up and hauled InuYasha to his feet and out of the clearing after me by his ear. When I judged we had gone enough where we wouldn't be overheard by InuYasha's pack I turned on my twin and released him. InuYasha growled and glared at me, rubbing his slightly bleeding ear. "What was that for?!"

I raised one silver eyebrow in a stare that would have made Sesshomaru proud. "Your manners are atrocious! What the hell is your problem?"

InuYasha's glare intensified. "My manners ain't the problem! That wench needs to learn to do things for herself! AND QUIT LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!"

"Like what?" I asked innocently. "Like this?" and I did the best impression of Sesshomaru I could muster.

"YES LIKE THAT!"

"Yeah..." I inspected my claws idly, "I'm not going to listen to you."

"Yeah you are! I'm your older brother! What I say goes!"

"Seriously, 'Yasha? Since when has that ever worked?"

InuYasha sighed. I guess he sensed defeat. "There's a first time for everything," he grumbled.

"Not this time. Besides, technically I'm older now since you still look fifteen."

"Fine. Why did ya drag me all the way out here?"

"Because, brother dear, we need a family conference."

InuYasha groaned. "Whenever we have a 'family conference' the only one who ever talks is you."

I gave him a crooked grin. "Then why are you still yapping?"

InuYasha scowled. I took that as my cue to continue. "First order of business," I said holding up a finger, "we need to find aniki-chan. Second or—"

"There is _no fucking way_ I am going looking for that bastard!"

I leveled a bone chilling glare at my twin, completely forgoing replicating Sesshomaru's and instead using one of my own making. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! I'm not gonna go find that jack ass! Do you know how many times he's tried to kill us?!"

I snarled. InuYasha really was beginning to try my patience. Where the hell did my big brother who was rough on the outside but soft on the inside go? This specimen seemed to be entirely made of the coarsest material one could find. "This not up for discussion, brother," I hissed. "We _will_ seek out Sesshomaru and you two _will._ Make. Nice. Am I understood?"

InuYasha's ears flattened against his skull. I don't think he had ever heard this tone from me before, which was understandable; I was emulating the most hard ass master I had ever been sold to. Still, he plucked up enough courage to say, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. And if you have a problem with it you'll just get over it." I was standing tall and proud now. InuYasha _would_ get it through his _thick skull_ that I was alpha, _not him_. I might have been the girl and youngest but I was Queen Bitch. "Don't make me make you."

InuYasha had his white ears, one still slightly red, pressed back against his skull. He could feel my yoki swirling around us even if he was the densest hanyō I had ever met. In the fifty years we had been apart I had grown so much stronger than him and he knew it. By right of not only my power but by my status as heir-apparent to our aniki I outranked him in every way. "Whatever," he grumbled.

I stood straight and tall for a moment longer to enforce upon him that I truly was his alpha before relaxing. My yoki immediately quieted and returned to its normal, almost invisible state and I smiled at InuYasha. Just by the way he was standing I knew he didn't like being made a fool of, that was why I had taken him away from his friends. "Look," I said softly, "we need aniki-chan. He's family, our family. You know Haha-ue taught us that family is precious and should be treated as such."

InuYasha sighed. I could see his aversion to the idea of finding our brother crack at the mention of our mother. InuYasha had always been a mama's boy. "Trust me, Yasha," I continued. "If Sesshomaru chooses to attack rather than reconcile then you can have at him, but I don't think he will."

"I already said alright," InuYasha grunted. With his arms crossed over his chest, ears pressed against his head to the point of being almost invisible and the pout on the ruggedly handsome face I was hard pressed not to laugh at his cuteness.

Instead I just smiled. "Another thing we need to talk about is how you treat your miko."

InuYasha stopped pouting and glared. "What about how I treat Kagome?"

"You're rude to her and she has done nothing to deserve it!"

"How would you know? You've only been here for today!"

"Damn you're dense InuYasha. I've been Watching you! Or did you think that I wouldn't keep an eye on you?"

"Of course I didn't!" InuYasha exploded. "I thought you were dead!"

Stunned silence filled the air between us. Dead? InuYasha had thought I was…dead? "But-but I'm not.." I didn't know what else to say. If InuYasha thought I was dead then Sesshomaru must think I'm dead too. Well, that would explain why he hadn't come looking for me.

InuYasha sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Well, yeah, I know that _now_. But after you disappeared I thought…and then I got pinned to the Goshinboku. When I woke up fifty years had passed and I figured you must be 'cause I knew you wouldn't just leave me."

Tears sprang to my amber eyes. "I'm not dead Yashie," I whispered, reaching for him.

"I know Tana," he whispered back, pulling me to him.

We held each other for a long time. I hadn't realized how much I had missed my rash older brother. InuYasha was my twin, my other half, he always would be. The fifty-year separation hadn't changed that and nothing ever would.

When InuYasha and I finally returned to the camp sight, true night had fallen. Kagome had obviously scrounged around for pieces of wood with which to build a fire and above the merrily crackling fire was a metal pot filled with water. Sango and Miroku had also returned and were sitting on opposite sides of the fire. Kagome sat between them, Shippo in her lap, with cups of a strange material labeled with brightly colored kanji beside her.

The fire cast flickering light across my new pack's faces. Sango, petting Kirara who was in her lap, looked peeved for some reason that I was almost completely certain was somehow linked to the bright red handprint standing out clearly against Miroku's pale skin. Entei watched over them all from a few paces away. There were hints of amusement in his reptilian eyes. When he saw me he lifted his head. _You have been gone for a long time, Mistress._

_Just some family issues that needed to be dealt with._

Entei snorted. _Of course, My Lady_.

I stuck my tongue out at him in retaliation for his mocking tone as I settled myself on the opposite side of the fire from Kagome. InuYasha plopped himself down right beside her and started at the containers in longing. Entei wandered over and stood behind me, idly pretending to munch on the grass—ironic since he is a carnivore—that grew in the clearing as he listened to us.

Kagome smiled at us upon our return. "I was wondering when you two would get back," she said cheerfully.

"Feh. What are you making for dinner?"

Kagome lifted one of the brightly labeled containers. "Ramen."

"Ramen? What's ramen?" I asked.

"Oh," Kagome frowned, thinking, "um it's food. See?" she held out a container to me and I took it, studying it closely. The container itself felt slick and pliable in my hand. I don't think I had ever felt any material quite like it before. I handed the 'ramen' back to her.

"What kind of food?"

"Noodles. You boil water then take off the top and pour the water inside. There's already seasoning in it so all you have to do is stir." She demonstrated, pulling off the film that had served the cup for a top and poured in water from the pot that had begun to boil. She then took a pair of chopsticks from her ridiculous yellow bag and stirred the contents of the cup before handing it back to me.

"Hey! Why does she get the first one?!" InuYasha squalled like a bratty five-year-old.

"Because she's never had any before!" Kagome shot back.

I took the cup gingerly from Kagome and peered inside. The 'ramen' stuff looked like traditional traveler's soup, except it smelled ten times better and she hadn't lied when she said there was seasoning already inside. I picked up the chopsticks and brought a few noodles to my mouth, carefully placing them on my tongue.

Oh. My. GODS!

The explosion of flavor hit my taste buds with brute force. My eyes widened. Ramen was freaking amazing! How had I not heard of this stuff before?!

I shoveled the remaining ramen in my cup into my mouth, practically inhaling the noodles.

"I guess she really is InuYasha's twin," Miroku said weakly as he watched me slurp up my last noodle then proceed to drink the liquid still in my ramen cup.

"Ah huh," Sango nodded as she stared at me while I ate with a gross sort of fascination.

I turned to Kagome. "Is there anymore?"

Kagome shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, TanaYasha. I only have enough for everyone to get just one."

I sighed, disappointed. I really wanted more ramen. That stuff was freaking amazing. I watched longingly as Kagome passed out the remaining cups to Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and InuYasha, keeping one for herself. They ate in silence, well everyone but InuYasha did. My twin ate loudly and sloppily, spilling ramen juice all over his chin and slurping noisily. He also shot me taunting looks.

_You look like a begging pup, Mistress._

_Shut up Entei. _

_I would rather not. Is that 'ramen' food truly that desirable? Mayhap I should partake in some. _

_There's none left._

Entei stuck his head over my shoulder and eyed InuYasha. _Master InuYasha might be willing to share. _

_I doubt it. He loves ramen much more than I do. _

Entei snorted in laughter and withdrew.

After everyone had eaten their dinner and the fire had been banked everyone spread out their sleeping pads and settled down for the night. InuYasha jumped up into the tree under which Kagome had placed what she called a 'sleeping bag' while Sango ensured she was as far away from Miroku as she could get but still be within the circle of light the low fire provided. I looked around for my own comfortable place to sleep. Entei was a little farther off, just outside the glow of the fire and half in shadow. He had laid down with his head drooping slightly on his graceful snow white neck. His mane and tail were the color of blood in the gloom but he did look comfortable.

I got up and went to him. _Mind if I sleep over here? _I asked him.

_Of course, my Lady._

I smiled at him and sat down, me head resting on his soft, warm shoulder. _Good night Entei. _


End file.
